Out of your Depth
by RastastheRascal
Summary: Finn confronts and fights his most dangerous and powerful foe yet... his own ego.


_**Chapter 1**_

"_When the Leviathan is hungry, it sends forth from his mouth a heat so great as to make all waters of the deep boil. And if he was to put his head into paradise, no living creature would endure. A pure monster from the watery void." – The Biblical of Leviathan._

Treetrunks was preparing one of her famous apple pies. The sweet scent of perfectly cut and baked slices of apple wafted down from the oven throughout the house. She sniffed the almost visible scent with a glorious sigh, thick with satisfaction. She smiled lightly, feeling at that moment, complete contentedness. After standing immobile for a little while, she came to, grabbed her baskets to place the Pies inside. The baskets were insulated with a heat compressing material so that the heat would stay with the pies, and she could travel massive distances with them only seeming as if they had just been baked. These baskets and the pies inside were to be taken to a very special party along the coast.

Not only would she be attending, but so would be her husband, Mr Pig, and Sweet P. Mr Pig was out chopping wood for the fire inside, and Sweet P was down at the little private beach they had, playing with his toys, she presumed. Treetrunks then wandered outside to find her husband. The trees that circled the perimeter of their property were solid and steadfast, which communicated safety and security in their little alcove in the forest. Treetrunks then spied Mr Pig exiting the forest edge. His face formed into a slight smile when he saw her.

"Hello, darling."

Treetrunks waited a bit before replying. "Hello, sweetie."

There was almost no need for anymore to be said. It was all communicated through their faces. Once Mr Pig was face to face with Treetrunks, he cut right to the chase.

"Are the pies done? Shall I go and get Sweet P?"

"Yes, all the pies are done, and now all we need is Sweet P."

"Alrighty then. I'll go and get him, and then we'll then set off."

"Alright."

Mr Pig nodded and turned to head down to the beach.

"Honey?"

"What is it?"

"What if, people don't like the pies?" It was an irrational fear, as she knew people would love them.

Mr Pig came over and embraced her.

"You have nothing to worry about darling. Even if nobody likes them, I shall."

Treetrunks blushed a deep red, even though the compliment itself was sentimental. Sometimes sentimental was alright.

Mr Pig let go.

"Alright…" He said with a laugh. "Now I'll go and get Sweet P."

Treetrunks nodded and turned to wander back into the house, while Mr Pig descended the precipitous cliffside carefully down to the beach. It really was a dream spot. The beach was white-sand and surrounded by breath-taking rocky headlands, making it almost exclusive to the Trunks family. Due to the nature of the rocks around the bay, the waves never got too big, and thus, Mr Pig and Treetrunks had spent numerous afternoons frolicking in the water with their Sweet P, watching as the sun sank beneath the horizon. The only potential hazard was the fact that the water got deep fast, and Mr Pig had given numerous stern talks to Sweet P making it abundantly clear, he was to never go out so far that his feet couldn't touch the bottom.

Mr Pig eventually made it to the beach. His hooves made a squeaking noise as they sank into the warm, soft sand. Mr Pig smiled at the thought of how much Sweet P loved that noise! In fact, most of Sweet P's time at the beach was spent stepping on the sand, laughing when it squeaked. He'd often jump up and down and stamp, making the squeaks louder and louder. As they got louder, he burst into even more scrumptious laughing fits than before. It was so enthralling, watching another being so wrapped up in something that gave them such joy.

But unfortunately, that feeling of exulted wonder was not in store for Mr Pig today. As he walked along the sand, following Sweet P's massive footsteps, he watched as they lead out into the sea. But, Mr Pig couldn't see him anywhere in the water. He squinted, scrutinizing every point on the beach, until his eyes came to rest on a pair of torn shorts, tumbling and twisting like seaweed in the waves.

With terror thick inside him, dissolving the moisture in his bones and making him almost unable to stand, he stumbled over to the piece of fabric, and fished it out of the water. Indeed, they were Sweet P's shorts with visible tears on the sides, evidently the work of rocks. Sweet P must've swum out too far, and not been able to come back in. He would've struggled and drowned, while the waves battered him against the sharp rocks around the cliffs. Mr Pig could only feel total denial. No, it couldn't be true, it just… _WASN'T POSSIBLE._

As Mr Pig tried to wrap his head around what had happened and desperately looked for other explanations as to why Sweet P's shorts were on the beach, he smelt the smell of a perfect life shattered, a delightful dream crushed. The burnt smell of Treetrunks pies. He turned around and saw Treetrunks behind him, tears streaming down her face. He ran to her, and she jumped towards him, their grief exploding out in an inescapable blast of sobbing. The headland all of a sudden looked dark and foreboding. The sea began washing seaweed up onto the white sand, unleashing an unpleasant smell, coinciding with a cloud covering up the sun, smothering everything in shadow.

But there was something else unleashed along with their wave of grief. An unending force of evil had now been woken, and to signal its arrival, a dorsal fin broke the surface of the water, 20 metres out. The creature it belonged to was of the darkness, and of the darkest days of every person who had seen the abyss and walked away to tell the tale. And either the Trunks' didn't notice or didn't care, and so the fin disappeared beneath the water, as silently as it had appeared.

Finn sat on top of the rocks, watching his friend Jake and the other citizens of Ooo frolicking in the water. It looked nice, especially considering how hot a day it was. He rubbed his face, removing the beads of sweat that had formed upon his forehead and cheeks. He wanted to go in the water, as his arms were burnt a painful red, despite him having sat in the shade of the sand dunes almost the whole day.

But still, even with the unbearable pain he felt every time he moved his arms, he refrained from going in; or even stepping up to his knees in the surf. He hated the ocean, or more precisely, he was _scared _of the ocean; more than he was willing to admit, even to himself. There was just something about the vast expanse, it's dark, twisting and seemingly limitless depths. Finn was the sort of person who liked simple, clear cut information. Thinking about tricky concepts, abstract thoughts, and complex systems gave him anxiety.

Lost in his thoughts, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he noticed that Lumpy Space Princess had floated over to hover next to him. In her endearing but whiny voice, she said: "Hey Funn, do you want to come in the water with me?"

The Sun was eating Finn alive, cooking him as he fought to live on. He wanted to, desperately, but… he couldn't. Couldn't or wouldn't? Why couldn't he? Was it because he was scared?

"I…" Finn tried to form the words in his mouth. His sun-bleached lips broke and cracked as he said: "I… I don't think I can."

Finn regretted what he said straight away. LSP always found a way of drawing attention to herself, as if every situation was a drama in which she needed to deliver her most elaborate, melodramatic performance.

"Why not Funn? Do you not like me? I always knew it! I always knew you never cared about me!"

Finn spied several heads turning their way. Finn reached out his arms in a patting, calming manner, ignoring the searing pain.

"Calm down LSP,"

"You don't like me!"

"I like you. I like you a lot."

"Then why did you say no?"

"Well think about it. If I'm in the water, then I can't see any dangers to save you guys from. If I'm here on the beach, I can see almost the entire party, and I can protect everybody from any threats _in the water…" _Finn's voice faded as he realised if there was danger, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

LSP thought about for a few seconds. She seemed to be looking for a reason to argue, but she didn't.

"Well, I guess you're right…" She paused, as if she was to say more, but after an awkward silence, she left, saying: "Yeah… see ya Finn."

But Finn's mind was elsewhere. Anxiety. Fear. Concern. Embarrassment. Inadequacy. He felt all them and more. His self-consciousness about his fear was manifesting itself as horrible thought, people in danger and him powerless to help. His stomach churned, his muscles all retained tension. He leaned back against the big granite boulder behind him and tried to relax.

After a few minutes, his shoulders dropped, and his fingers unfurled from his palms like a flower. He smiled at his relaxation, as the sun gently caressed his face, not to hot; not abrasive.

Then, Finn heard the sound of feet shuffling through sand. Somehow, he knew that the footsteps were approaching him. He made a game of it. Who could it be? Jake? BMO? Huntress Wizard? Once the footsteps reached him and stopped, he opened his eyes.

Once his pupils dilated enough for him to see, he recognised Princess Bubblegum, the person behind the party and its organisation. Even though the party was her idea, she didn't seem to be in a partying mood.

"Darn it," Finn said with a dreamy smile. "I was wrong."

Princess Bubblegum didn't react to the comment. Instead she flipped through the papers on a clipboard she was holding. She found a page, poked at it, sliding her finger down the page until she seemed to find what she was looking for. She then looked at Finn and acknowledged him for the first time since the party had begun.

"Treetrunks, Mr Pig, and Sweet P haven't arrived yet." Her voice was taught and strained, like a rope pulled to breaking point. She was the sort of person who almost never relaxed or stopped thinking. There was always some new problem she needed or wanted, to attend to.

Finn didn't react to what Bubblegum had said. He didn't want to allow the seed of anxiety to strike once more inside his mind and grow like a weed through cracks in a wooden floor.

"Bubblegum, you shouldn't worry about it."

"Why shouldn't I worry about it?"

"Because they can do what they want."

"Seems a bit strange, just… not coming?"

It was strange. Unlike them. They said they would come. Maybe something had come up? Last minute… maybe something untoward had happened? Finn's teeth began to grind against each other.

"…Yes, you're right, there usually is a harmless explanation isn't there? Like you've said before, "Magic is just Science, but Wizards just don't know it". Maybe this is just one of those types of moments. Something that seems concerning, is actually just...you know… okay?"

It was a weak explanation. Finn had been mostly trying to convince himself, as much as Bubblegum.

Bubblegum was doubtful. Her shoulders were raised. Concern was almost her natural emotional state. She looked out to sea, bit her lip, and rubbed her face.

"Ah, well… in any case, I'm going to get a glass of water, you want any?"

"No. I'm alright." Finn didn't know why he declined. He wanted water.

"Suit yourself."

What was going on with the Trunks? Where were they? Were they okay? What had happened to them to cause them to abandon such a special event? As much as he had not wanted it too, the more Finn tried to fight his anxiety, the more and more powerful it got. He looked at the ocean and felt his heart-beat only increase.

He felt like an idiot. It was just a massive puddle. What could it do to Finn? He attempted to laugh at himself, trying to quench the anxiety rising in him from just _looking_ at the ocean. He then remembered what he had said to LSP, and felt his guts shrivel in on themselves, as he tried to shut out the thought, but it only grew stronger.

Like a cruel game, his brain began to make every shadow begin to look like a creature, every bit of seaweed looks as if it posed a threat. Finn stood up and squinted his eyes to see a black shadow moving toward a large group of party goers. Jake was one of them. He stood up preparing to yell until a little Silver Whiting jumped out of the water. A tiny fish, it posed no more of a threat to anyone on land than it did to anyone in the water. Everyone within the water was pleasantly surprised at such a curious event. Finn sat down again, anxiety only growing.

The bad thing was, Finn was not wrong. A dark shadow was out there, and it was very much a malevolent force. It swam along the sandy bottom, its nose picking up signals from some living creatures, no more than 100 metres away. The creature propelled itself forward by massive swings of its tail as the scents strengthened. It looked up at the swimmers, bobbing placidly on the water. The creature moved upward. It didn't float up, but it didn't swing its tail either. It looked like a dark cloud, moving without any apparent effort, and without urgency. Its eyes darted away from the group, looking onto one lonely swimmer…

"What's wrong Finn?"

Finn turned quickly and defensively, as if someone had caught him in some embarrassing act. Behind him was Tiffany, one of Jakes old criminal friends during his time as a bank robber, and the last person Finn wanted to see at that moment. Finn had to restrain himself from immediately telling Tiffany to nick off.

"Oh… hello Tiffany." Finn's wrapped his lips around Tiffany's name mockingly pronouncing every syllable excruciatingly slowly before spitting it out as if it was something with a profoundly unpleasant taste.

"Wow, happy to see me, aren't you? Think you saw a monster out, there did you? When I spoke to you, you jumped up as if somebody stuck a red-hot poker in your buns."

Finn stared at Tiffany. "Yeah. I know. Don't better things to do? Instead of annoying me? You little pip-squeak?"

Tiffany raised his eyebrows matter-of-factly as if this was the reaction he had expected.

"Hmph," Tiffany muttered as he wandered away. "When you try to be nice…"

Forgetting about Tiffany almost as soon as he left, Finn turned his attention back to the group of people in his direct line of vision. More people had joined, instead of 5, there was now 9. Finn sucked in a breath. It was almost a gasp. His teeth ground into each other, creating the sensation of fingernails on a chalkboard within his mouth. He looked down into his sun-bleached hands and attempted to relax his jaw.

A scream penetrated the still air, rushing into Finn's ears and making his brain bang around inside his skull. He was on his feet in a moment, throwing his head back and forth trying to see where the danger was. There was none that could be seen. Instead, the scream hadn't even come from the water. It was coming from Flame Princess. It seemed that LSP had whispered something to her, obviously something shocking, as it caused that extreme outburst of noise. Finn kicked himself realizing how stupid he must've looked. He felt like he was naked in front of a massive crowd, all of his embarrassing secrets and thoughts broadcast for the world to see. He caught Tiffany's smirking face from across the dunes.

Extreme anger exploded inside Finn, which was only worsened by his uncomfortable sunburn. He wrung his finger across his neck and pointed at Tiffany, which only seemed to make Tiffany more amused. This only made Finn's anger grow stronger. He forced himself to look away from the smug man-child, knowing that he might not be able to stop himself from strangling him if he looked at him any longer. His mood now completely down the toilet, he furiously stamped away from the collapsing sand of the dune he was under and proceeded to sit on a rock further away, out of Tiffany's line of sight.

Once Finn made it to his destination and flopped down into sitting position. His anger dulled, giving way to extreme insecurity. Does he know? No of course not. How can anyone know? He just wants to appear tough. And he's not. You know that Finn! You know that!

Out in the water, the black nightmare grew closer and closer to the one lone swimmer. Its nose was picking up on every vibration, every movement, as all the tiny dimples on its bluish-grey flank sent shivers all over its body. In a final erratic spasm of movement, the monster from the deep homed in on its target.

Everyone looked concerned at hearing the combination of fear and shock mixed together in a deep guttural yelp of noise. Then, all at the same time, everybody noticed the fins of a creature entangled with a person in a massive wash of white and red foam. Pandemonium ensued as everybody saw what was occurring no more than 15 metres away from the beach. Screams filled the air, along with stampeding feet and splashes of water.

Finn barely had any time to process what was happening. In one quick motion, he was on his feet, and charging towards the water, trying to not knock into people who were running blindly the other way with no sense of where they were or where they were going.

Strangely enough, Finn knew that his running at the water was pointless. But he still ran. He knew he couldn't enter the water no matter how hard he tried, so why was he running? What was he going to do once he made it into the deep? Fight he creature? He couldn't! He couldn't even stay on the beach without getting scared! Was he running to save a person, or to prove that he wasn't useless?

Finn continued to run, despite his brain telling him the opposite. Cognitively dissonant, Finn placed all of his attention into stepping forward, one foot in front of the other. He knew he could do it. Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running…

Finn stopped dead. A small wave had broken over his knees. All at once, his conviction, his determination, his motivation, was gone. He froze in place, as the chilling liquid entered his shoes; soaking his feet. Time appeared to slow down, as Finn noted (Without concern) that his body had suddenly become unresponsive. It was like he had entered into a dream in which he was attempting to run from some horrid force, but his limbs wouldn't obey his commands to move, and he could only try to run, as the spectre of darkness grew closer, and closer…

In a daze, Finn then looked up from his frothy covered feet, to see a shape, a distorted person, a person who in an almost instantaneous moment - smacked into Finn's right side, sweeping him right off his feet. Snapped out of his hypnotic zen state, Finn seized up as he crashed full body into the bitterly cold water, face half in and half out. He spluttered and coughed at the sudden invasion of water through his mouth and nose, clearing them of mucus and bubbles until a wave chose at that moment to hit him and the person atop him; dragging, twisting, flipping them through clouds of sand and seaweed.

Through the hazy greyness of the water, clouds of sand kicked up by stampeding feet and mouthfuls of salty water, without even freeing himself from the entangled spaghetti that was the vines of algae clinging to him, Finn struggled to his feet. Despite his throat coated with sand and salt, he roared; nearly in the true sense of the word.

"EVERYBODY OUT! EVERYONE GET OUT, **NOW!"**

But the water was already completely desolate. Finn panted, his lungs craving air but was unable to suck in a full breath. He was completely decrepit; sand all over and inside his clothes, raking his sunburnt, salty skin. Salt crystals clung to his eyebrows and hair, while slimy aquatic vines clung to his legs as though they were tomato plants growing on stakes.

Finn turned to the masses of people behind him. There was whimpering, crying, hushed and scared whispers accompanied by loud, bitter screams. Then, without warning, Timothy Tam, a Candy person, stumbled to the water's edge. His movements were uneven, like his there was a delay between his brain commanding him to move and his body's response. He came to an unsteady stance and began loitering back and forth, as if he was at a crossroads and didn't know the way to his destination. His gaze was everywhere, staring at everything and anything as if _anything_ had what he was looking for.

But nothing did. He stopped, looked back at the people behind him; eyes bloodshot and disturbingly wide open. He then screamed. A purely primal, animalistic sound, nothing like what Finn had ever heard a person utter. He then began to run around and around the dunes, crying and crying the name of his dearest, Mint Peppermint, in such anguish to the point her name turned into gurgles of sounds, barely recognizable as a name. It was surreal, like reality itself was being exposed for the mirage it was. Timothy spun wildly in circles until eyes came to lie on her hat, washing up and down in the surf; a forlorn indicator as to what had happened.

Timothy Tam walked over to it in total silence, picked it up, turned to Finn, and through his grief-stricken, red, bloated face, said:

"I blame you."

Finn didn't reply.

In an instant of fury brought on by grief, Timothy threw himself at Finn in a flurry of punches. He knocked Finn to the ground, where he set upon him bringing his fists up and battering Finn's body against the sand. Finn, on the verge of crying, didn't resist. Jake then appeared behind Timothy, wrapping his arms around and around his waist, pulling him away from the defenceless Finn.

Struggling, scratching, kicking, biting at Jakes iron grip, Timothy, yelled:

"I BLAME YOU!

Finn turned away, hiding his welling tears.

"I BLAME YOU!"

It seemed that each time Timothy cried out the phrase, it seemed more and more directed at everyone, everything, and anything.

"I BLAME YOU!"


End file.
